title: Activated H-ras gene mutations in transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder in a Kashmiri population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of H-ras specific point mutations among a group of Kashmiri patients diagnosed with bladder cancer. We also explored the correlation of clinic-pathological status of the illness with these mutations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The DNA samples of both tumor and normal tissue were evaluated for the occurrence of H-ras activating mutations in exon 1 and 2 by PCR-SCCP and DNA sequencing. In addition, blood was also collected from all the cases to rule out any germ-line mutation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Point mutations of activated H-ras identified in bladder cancer patients were 14.5% (7 of 48), including four transversions (two G-->T and two A-->T) and three transitions (A-->G). Of the mutations, 71.4% were detected in codon 61 and 28.6% in codon 12. The pattern of mutation in the study showed a significant association with smoking in bladder tumors (P < 0.05). No correlation was found between tumor grade and/or stage and the presence of H-ras mutation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Activation of H-ras by mutation plays a less frequent role than other genetic events in the development of the most transitional cell tumors of the bladder in Kashmiri population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Kashmir, India.
authors.forename: Arshad Ahmad
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pandith
authors.forename: Zafar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Roohi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rasool
authors.lastname: Dil-Afroze
authors.forename: Adfar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yousuf
authors.forename: Nighat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parveen
authors.forename: Saleem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Mushtaq
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siddiqi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D003062:Codon; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D011905:Genes, ras; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003062:Codon